May 5, 2002

SANCTIFICATION AND HONOR

Thessalonians 4:1-8

   First Thessalonians was an early epistle of Paul if not his very first. He wrote of their "work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in the Lord Jesus Christ" (1:3). The gospel had come to them "not in word only," but "in much power...and in much assurance." They responded such that they were "imitators of Paul" and, like him, they "received the word in much affliction," yet with "joy in the Holy Spirit." They had "turned to God from idols," and were waiting "for God's Son from heaven" (1:9-10). A more solid beginning could hardly be found!

   Still Paul needed to "beseech...and exhort" them how "to walk and to please God" (4:1). He reminded them of the "commandments we gave you" which expressed "the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication" (4:2-3). What had been so common was now forbidden. And "every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor, not in the passion of lust," like other Gentiles "who do not know God" (4:4-5).

   Such sin was not only "defrauding" ones spiritual brother but God took notice and promised to avenge that kind of misbehavior. Such were Paul's warnings and testimony, because "God has not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness (sanctification)." For any who might not take this matter seriously, Paul added that anyone who "despises...despises not man (only), but God, Who also has given unto us His holy Spirit" (4:6-8). Paul went on to speak of genuine "brotherly love," not to be confused with "brotherly lust"!

   "Sanctification and honor" are spiritual terms of endearment that should describe every area of our lives for the Lord. In Romans 6:19 Paul wrote, "as ye have yielded your members servants to unclean-ness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness." In Ephesians 4:22-24, he wrote, "put off concerning the former behavior the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts...and put on the new man, which after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness." Again, "walk in love, as Christ also has loved us...but fornication and all unclean-ness...let it not be...named among you as becomes saints" (5:1-3).

Ivan L. Burgener